158 Convert rounded corners to editable paths

Keyboard Shortcuts

Creating speech bubbles using InDesign is easy. All you need to do is make sharp corners, and later convert them into rounded corners with editable paths. This online InDesign tutorial covers everything you need to know about how to convert rounded corners to editable paths. You will also learn how to reshape rounded corners into Bezier curves and then manipulate them into speech bubbles.

- Indesign has great feature called corner optionsor live corners, some people call them.And it lets you apply corner effects to any object.For example, I'll grab the frame tooland I'm just gonna drag out a frame on top of this photo.Then why don't we fill it with a color.I'll choose paper and then I'llstroke it with a black stroke.Let's make this a little bit thicker.So we can see it better.Ok, now that I've got my rectangle,I wanna change the corners.I wanna make them rounded.And I can do that in several places.I could go to the object menu and choose corner options.

Or I could just change it here in the control panelusing these controls, right here.But my favorite way of applying live cornersis to switch to the selection tool.Which I can do by pressing the V key on my keyboard.Then I see this little yellow box in the upper right corner.All I have to do is click that.That switches it to live corner mode.Where I see four diamonds,little yellow diamonds on the corners.To get my rounded corners,I simply drag one of those over.There we go.Now I've got rounded corners and it looks pretty good.

So that's cool but sometimes you wanna make a changeto a corner that you just can't do withoutseeing the actual bezier points.The handles on the path.Fortunately, Indesign lets you convert theseautomatic corners into actual bezier curves.It's really easy to do but it's totally obscure.You'd never guess how.So I'd better show you.To convert live corners or corner options intobezier points, all you have to do is go to the object menu.Come down to the paths sub menu,and then choose close path.

That's right, I'm converting aclosed path into a closed path.At first it doesn't look like anything has changed.But if I switch to my direct selection tool,this white arrow tool in the tools panel,you can actually see the bezier points on the path.So that's kind of neat.Now you can do things with those points.For example, I could click and hold down on the pin toolto get this little pop-up menu.Then I could choose the convert direction point tool.Then I could change these different points.For example, I could just click anddrag to make a really weird shape.

I don't need that so I'm gonna undowith a command Z or control Z on Windows.And instead I'm gonna turn this into a speech bubble.I'm gonna make it look like this guy is saying something.So I'll go back to my pin tool.And I'm gonna click three times.I hover my cursor over the pathuntil I see a little plus symbol next to the pin.That means I'm going to add points to this.And I'll click and then move over a little bit and click.And then move over a bit and then click again.Now to select one of those points, just that middle point.I need to deselect all of them,which I can do with a command shift A,or control shift A on Windows.

So now I'll choose the directselection tool in the tool panel.And I'll click right on that object,so I can see the points.But they're white instead of black,so I can choose a single pointby hovering over it and then dragging it down.And when I drag that one point down, I get my speech bubble.So I created a sharp corner rectangle.I converted it into a rounded corner rectangle.And then converted it into actual bezier points.And then added my speech bubble,a little sharp corner right there in the middle.Now granted, it's not often that you need thisbut it's good know these tricksbecause when you need it, you really need it.

Resume Transcript Auto-Scroll

Author

Updated

10/12/2017

Released

8/25/2011

In this series, David Blatner and Anne-Marie Concepción, co-hosts of the web's top resource for InDesign tips and tricks, InDesignSecrets.com, share some hidden and sometimes surprising workflow tips that will make working in InDesign more efficient and more fun. The course covers built-in timesaving features such as Quick Apply and auto-expanding text, but also little-known tricks, such as using the eyedropper to copy and paste character and paragraph text attributes and making accurate selections by selecting through or even into objects.

New techniques will be added to the collection every other week, so check back early and often. Find more tips and tricks at indesignsecrets.com.

Skill Level Intermediate

27h 36m

Duration

1,941,211

Views

Show MoreShow Less

Q: Why can't I earn a Certificate of Completion for this course?

A: We publish a new tutorial or tutorials for this course on a regular basis. We are unable to offer a Certificate of Completion because it is an ever-evolving course that is not designed to be completed. Check back often for new movies.